The Hero's Love
by Sudipto
Summary: Weary after winning the war, Naruto, almost losing his life, is trapped in a caccoon. How long will he remain in the caccoon? What will happen when he comes out? What is this caccoon all about? Unanswered questions. All inside. Rated K for now. May change later. Ships to be added later on in the story, it is undecided as of now. (Cover image to be changed)


**Naruto's Call**

 **Hope for you to enjoy reading this story.**

* * *

 **Location: Final Valley.**

Out in a rubble of two broken statues stood a group of four.

A blond haired teenage boy with bright blue eyes resembling the sky wearing worn out clothes which were to fall off at any moment. He has 3 whisker like birth marks on both his cheeks. Half of his right is completely decimated. Another is a male teen with raven coloured hair who kept his left eye closed and the right open. Wearing a torn purple kimono which could fall off at any moment as well. The condition of his left hand is the same as that of the blond haired boy's right hand. The third person is a petite pinkette teenage girl wearing a green armour jacket over a black shirt and pant. This is Sakura Haruno. The last person is a spiky white haired man with a mask cover the lower half of his face. He has a deep scar cutting through his left eye. His name is Kakashi Hatake.

From the distance, we could see the two teenage boys holding their still remaining arms out and connected in the form of a hand sign. These were Naruto and Sasuke performing a combined handseal to dispel the infinite tsukuyomi.

"Let's do this Sasuke." Naruto yelled. Sasuke still in the realizating state that Naruto was always there, trying to reach out to him, to save him from the pathof hatred he took. And even that, he nearly destroyed. Slowly as each person stuck in the infinite dream world is unwrapped from the appendages of the branches of Madara's **Mokuton: Jukai Kotan (Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence)**.

Both were exhausted to high ends with only one arm of each still intact after their battle with each other ending with Sasuke realizing the right path he must take. It had been along war which finally came to an end. But with as minimal damage they could take, they came out victorious against the terror named Madara and Later Kaguya by sealing Kaguya in a **Chibaku Tensei (Planetary Devastation)** in one of her own dimensions forever.

With the infinite tsukuyomi now released and all the people trapped inside the infinite illusion saved from it, the shinobi world was finally headed towards peace wiith the formation of the shinobi alliance. Little did they know that things still will not be as merry as they thought it would.

Naruto and Sasuke get wearier every minute. Suddenly with a huff, Naruto collapses to the ground out of complete exhaustion. Sakura immediately runs towards the collapsed Naruto and checks his pulse rate.

"Naruto! What's wrong? Talk to me." She said, getting no reply from him other than a huff. He was running out of breath and dying fast. The whole battle had now taken toll on him.

Sakura was shocked to see this unexpected development. "Kakashi sensei, Naruto's body is giving out, he won't make it if this goes on." This news startled Kakashi and Sasuke as well. Naruto had run out of chakra and nothing Sakura did to heal Naruto improved his condition. At this rate, Naruto will be losing his life. Kakashi and Sakura are now at their limit of chakra usage. That left only Sasuke with any chance of saving Naruto.

"Can't Kurama help?" Sakura voiced out to which Kakashi replied "There is no way known to us to contact him.". "Not today Naruto. We still have our real battle left." Says Sasuke. With the little chakra Sasuke had left to use without harming himself to death, he decided to cast one of the sealing jutsu unique to his rinnegan in his left eye. The **Mayu Tomin Hira (Caccoon Hibernation Healer)**. The jutsu forms a chakra shell around the one being used on, keep that person alive, absorb **nature chakra** from the surroundings and geal the person encompassed within with time.

"I can still do something. I have a sealing jutsu which will put him into hibernation and heal him at the same time." declared Sasuke. He did not wait for the approval of Kakashi or Sakura. There just isn't enough time. Without hesitating, Sasuke opened his left eye and thrust as much chakra he could to use the jutsu. Two giant purple hands come out of the ground with many small hands protruding out of the larger hands. Both of the giant hands picks up the still dying body of Naruto while the smaller hands start covering him from all sides forming a caccoon. After this was done, the hands turn to stone.

The stone hands radiated the **immense energy** which even Sasuke could not recognize with his rinnegan. He had never used this before so he could not make out what this energy was. All he could see is the stone hands radiating out energy which was being seeped into the land, air, water in exchange for it's **nature chakra**. "What is this energy? Is it a by product of your jutsu Sasuke?" asks Kakashi sensing the same energy exchange taking place. So did Sakura. It was hard not to notice. "No, this is not something I know of." replied Sasuke.

This time Sakura asking "So, when will he be back from it?". "I...don't really know, it could take a few days, or even years." Sasuke says with a slightly worried and unsure yet straight face. "What do you mean by that?" Sakura voiced out softly unlike she would usually do. "I have never used this jutsu before, but as far as I can say he is still alive in there and will come out alive when he is healed and ready to come out." finished Sasuke.

This made Sakura and Kakashi happy and sad at the same time. Happy because Naruto will be alive, sad because they are unsure how long he will hibernate inside. Knowing well they cannot take Naruto back to the village in that state, Kakashi,Sakura and Sasuke return to the village. Sasuke being hesitant at first remembering everything he's done against the hidden villages in his days as a rogue ninja.

"I still doubt I will be accepted after everything I have done. People will bear resentment against me for being the rogue Uchiha who tried to destroy the village." Sasuke says.

"You do not have to worry about that Sasuke, you did fight along us during the war and were accepted as an ally." Kakashi replied with an eye smile.

"Yes, you have changed. We want you in the village." Sakura added.

Sasuke put up a small happy smile on hearing that. He was finally receiving the warmth he craved for long ago.

Yet, he was sad. Sad that the one he considers a brother, the one who pulled him out of the darkness is missing. On better inspection of Kakashi and Sakura, they didn't seem to be fairing well with Naruto's absense either. They were not sure how long they won't be seeing him. If Kakashi were to trust his gut, it would be way too long.

"Hinata will be so sad when she hears this." Sakura thinks at the back of her mind as they keep walking.

A light wind blows across them with the early morning sun rays hitting their faces, they return home.

* * *

 **Time Skip: 6 years.**

Dried leaves swayed and soared down through the winds in a huge village bordered by a tall wall in a curve. Lots of work in progress going on. People busy through the streets, at work, shopping in markets, having food at new fancy restaurants. Morning is indeed a great feeling. Isn't it? This place is Konoha in the land of Fire.

Orochimaru, headmaster of the Konoha Academy standing over the roof of his school views the Hokage statues.

The First Hokage Hashirama Senju, hailed as the God of Shinobi. The Second Hokage Tobirama Senju, the formidable shinobi responsible for the creation of many jutsus including the **Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei (Summoning jutsu: Reanimation)**. The Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, known as The Professor, who can wield more than 4 elements and has vast knowledge of the shinobi world. The Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze feared as the yellow flash, who sacrificed his life saving the village from the attack of the kyuubi. The Fifth Hokage Tsunade Senju, his former team mate, his former comrade. And then, The Sixth Hokage Kakashi Hatake, the current Hokage famous as Copy Ninja Kakashi tohave copied and wield more than a thousand jutsus.

"Times have changed so much." he muttered looking at the hokage statues and then the village around him.

Technology has advanced. There are better structured buildings. The village has expanded and strengthened. Peace has been achieved. The Shinobi Alliance did not break down. People lived in harmony. Borders did not mean anything anymore, they are just locatioin indicators now.

Shinobi do not fight over territories and grudge anymore. The use of chakra for war has lessened. It is just a means of completing petty tasks now. Konoha Ninja Academy is now Konoha Academy, where students gain knowledge of the living, their surroundings, the dead.

"So what of my researches then? I guess I should add one more thing to it... **The Hero's Love**." continued Orochimaru.

The Hero's Love is is what Naruto's caccoon is now called, representing Naruto's love for the world which he wanted to see living in peace. Both the stone hands joined together only worked to enhanced the mood of that name. It had been years and there was no sign of Naruto's return yet.

"I should write a research on Naruto's current bed. Sasuke said he'll will in fact recover and be back one day, let me see if there is any way I can be a catalyst of his return." Orochimaru thinks as he starts jumping through buildings towards the village exit gate. He had already taken a leave from the academy for this purpose from the hokage, Kakashi. What a tough decision that was for him to be allowed as a teacher in the academy in the first place...

 **-Flashback: 2 days earlier-**

It was a lazy afternoon, Kakashi was completing his completing his usual paperwork for confirmation of different developments like buildings and new gadgets when he hear a knock on the door.

"Come in" he says.

The door slightly opened and in came Orochimaru. No one really knew of his whereabouts after the war ended and this was the first time he was spotted since then. As a result, Kakashi puts his guard up fearing a battle in hand.

"My my Kakashi, sit down. I am not here to fight. Nor am I here to destroy your pretty new village." Says Orochimaru in his usual sly tone.

"Why are you here? After all this time, it's been more than 5 years. You seemingly disappeared after the war ended." Kakashi demanded.

To which Orochimaru responded with "Well you see, a little bird told be the great nations have stabilized and there are no wars waged anymore and that people are living in harmony."

"And?" Kakashi interrupted.

Orochimaru slightly twitched at that interruption but continued, "...and I am here for a request."

"What would that be?" Kakashi was perplexed that Orochimaru of all people would come with a request. An age old rogue ninja. But then, he did help out in the war as he heard from the other shinobi who survived the war so may be he has chosen to change his ways.

"You look like you are considering me for this request." Orochimaru replies, actually smiling, not the regular evil smile.

"My request is, to be made the head of your Konoha Ninja Academy. In my life time, I have gethered a vast knowledge of how this world used to work and enough knowledge in the past 5 years of the new changes in it. Just think of it. I am the best person for this." Orochimaru bragged.

Kakashi was now surprised enough to actually start laughing, but he held it in to keep his usual calm demeanor and asked, "And how do you expect us to trust you with the future of this village? You already have the reputation of being infamous for your notoriority. Having an ulterior motive would not surprise me."

"Oh please Kakashi, if I really wanted to go against the village I wouldn't come in through your door. Don't you see Kakashi? I am finally ready to settle down instead of lurking through caves and inspecting my research works." Orochimaru paused and walked towards the windows.

Motioning towards the sight of the village outside he continued, "The whole world has changed. So did I.".

"But why teaching children? Why not something else?" Kakashi questioned.

"Because I love children." Replied Orochimaru to which Kakashi almost choked on his own spit on hearing.

"I am not too well convinced, I'll need you to run some errands to see if you're trustworthy." Said Kakashi. "And I get some free work done by this too." Though a part of Kakashi's mind.

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes at Kakashi, knowing full well what was going on here. But he agreed.

Still standing there, Orochimaru now made a serious faceas he tells Kakashi another objective of his.

"I agree to do that Sixth Hokage. I am letting you know of another thing. I want to research on **The Hero's Love**. I think I can crack the solution to your problem."Orochimaru said in more of a formal tone.

Kakashi widened his eyes at this but then got serious as well. "You mean to say you may have a way for Naruto to return?".

"May be, may be not. I heard all about it from Sasuke 2 years back and I am curious. But I need a settling place to carry on my work so I choose to spend that setting time sharing my knowledge with the future of this world, the children." Orochimaru now in a more casual tone says out.

"So you do have the will of fire." Kakashi pointed out.

"Don't you ever mention that again." Orochimaru said in mock anger, but he was indeed serious.

 **-Flashback End-**

Orochimaru, now already outside the village is jumping through the deep forests surrounding Konoha. Shoving that memory back into his memory bin, including the small time embarrassing tasks he had to carry out.

He sped up to reach the renovated final valley faster, he had to reach there before afternoon. It is early in the morning and there is still a lot of time. By reaching there in the afternoon, he can continue his previously initiated inspection today.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

 **I am a first time writer. So, Thank You for your time reading my fanfiction story.**

 **I know my writing skills have flaws, reason why I request for criticism in the reviews for it. This is so that my next chapter is an improved one.**

 **If you like the story, do review.**

 **Mayu Tomin Hira (Caccoon Hibernation Healer) : It's a jutsu unique to Sasuke's rinnegan. A caccoon around the one being used on is formed. Used for hibernation of life as well as healing at the same time within the caccoon formed. Non-canon jutsu created by me for this plot.**


End file.
